I congratulate all those who have been successful in Mali’s recent parliamentary elections. It is a great honour for me to represent my community in Parliament, and I wish all the new parliamentarians the best of luck in representing the concerns of theirs. I also commend the Malian people, political parties, civil society and the candidates for the peaceful conduct of the elections.

2013 has been a momentous year. Mali has come a long way since the events of January. I was delighted to see a democratically elected President presiding over these parliamentary elections, which mark another important step on Mali’s return to long-term stability. I now encourage the new parliamentarians to work towards broader political progress, including by supporting their communities through a national process of dialogue and reconciliation. This will be crucial in repairing the damage done by the traumatic events of the last two years and achieving long term stability.

The UK, alongside the rest of the international community, stands ready to help the Malian government and Parliament as they address the challenges ahead.